Hello, my peeps! As promised earlier this week, I have an interview with a young author who recently published her first book! This interview has been a looooooong time coming, hehe. Originally we'd wanted to have it last November (!) but life kept life-ing for both of us, plot bunnies ran amok, and before we knew it we were into August. But, here we are!

Note that I have not actually read And Three Became Four; however, I met Rowan at a homeschool conference, and we've been sending emails back and forth for . . . over a year now. 😊

Rowan, welcome to the jungle - I mean, the blog. First of all, will you tell us what your book is about?

My book, And Three Became Four, is a classic yet original tale of four siblings, prophesied to save the known world from a shadowy danger. And Three Became Four is book one of a nine-book series, Tales of Sylkren. There's plenty of storylines that thread through the entire series, so do stick around. The prophecy in full is presented right before chapter one, and I'd recommend readers to read it before the rest of the book. It has some great foreshadowing. I feel like the blurb explains the plot better than I could, so here it is:

Kaelan never wanted to be destined for greatness. He wanted to stay in his tundra cabin and hunt the meteh, the bladed deer, for the rest of his life. But when a prophecy is made known and the prophesied siblings are sought out, his world is flipped irreversibly-- and he barely understands why. The siblings must work together to fulfill their prophecy, but betrayal lurks in the shadows, and not everyone is who he says he is or who he seems to be.

Where did you find inspiration for this book?

I actually remember clearly where I got the idea which eventually became And Three Became Four. Believe it or not, it was a LEGO set. Specifically, the LEGO Minecraft "The Fox Lodge" set. I also drew inspiration from other tales and characters. Elaris, one of the main characters and frankly one of my favorites, was based on both Puss in Boots and one of my much more chaotic characters from a different storyline. Google Translate was also useful for naming characters.

Do you have a favorite character to write about?

I've already mentioned her-- Elaris is by far one of my favorite characters to write, and I'm glad she's coming back a few times in later books. She's chaotic and silly, and rather happy-go-lucky. (One of her quotes *is* "Murky cheese", which you'll have to read the book to understand. Muahaha.) However, she's much more perceptive, reliable, and skillful than most people give her credit for. She's a professional thief, after all. Another of my favorites is Kaelan, the grumpy hermit-esque main character. Or one of the main characters. I'll admit he has difficulty getting motivated to actually help the other characters, but he has his reasons. He's also the very first character for this story, the one that started the entire spark.

Do you have a favorite memory connected with this book?

Ooh, that'd have to be sharing my book with my sister or talking about it with my friends. I once talked for I think a half hour straight, and just the spoiler-free version of the towns in Velkren. Something tells me I like my book xD

(I'd be a wee bit concerned if you didn't like your book, hehe. 😆)

What authors have influenced you the most, both in your life and writing?

I'm not sure about authors that have influenced me. I've been really enjoying Chuck Black's books recently, but that's after And Three Became Four was drafted and published.

If you could choose a theme song for your book, what would it be?

Theme song would have to be the Minecraft song "Alpha" by C418, from his album Beta. Specifically starting from the three-minute mark, I feel like it fits a quest story very well, despite being instrumental.

Do you have a (non-spoilery) snippet you’d like to share with us?

My absolute favorite story scene is from chapter 21, but since you said "non-spoilery"... *heaves a dramatic, fake sigh of disappointment* Here's one!

Serein chuckled. "Well now, mister, you know I can't give you syrup." The chair snurffled.
"What is that?" Elaris asked, still wide-eyed.
"This is Omar. He's a Rundle."
The others' curiosity was aroused. Serein picked up the something and pulled him up where the others could see. Omar looked like a small bear the approximate size and shape of a large throw pillow. He had small ears, tail, and four short legs. His eyes were oval-shaped and dark. He snurffled again and wiggled his legs towards the syrupy plates on the table.
"Branches above," Delphra said, surprised by the near-lack of limbs it had.
"He's so cute!" Elaris exclaimed. Serein handed her the Rundle, who chirped once, gently, and snuggled her. Peter had no comment.

(Aww! I want a Rundle now! Pwease? 🥺)

Do you have a schedule or routine for writing, or does it just happen whenever/wherever?

I have a modular mini-schedule that I do use. I do it whenever I have time, usually wherever I am, although my desk and bed are common spots. For fifteen minutes, I worldbuild (I LOVE worldbuilding) or work on a secondary writing project. One minute intermission for cleanup, then five minutes browsing books for inspiration or ideas. Another one-minute intermission, then I work on Tales of Sylkren (currently, I'm writing book two, the sequel to And Three Became Four. It's titled "Pawsteps in the Tide") for fifteen minutes. One final one-minute intermission for cleanup, then I reward myself. It's pretty simple and straightforward, and I like it because I can repeat it, and because it's low-pressure.

What’s your favorite snack and/or drink for writing – or are you a “no food while writing” person?

I actually don't snack much at all, but I'm not opposed to enjoying a good drink while I write, or sucking on a peppermint or lollipop. I have a stash of peppermints near my desk, haha. Last fancy drink I had was a lemonade with strawberry and peach. It was pretty good! But water is still delicious.

What are some of your favorite "behind the scenes" facts?

Elaris, who's canonically a long-furred tortoiseshell, was originally going to have black fur. Yes, she's an anthropomorphic cat, a hybrid of two species which she explains in the book. Kaelan's first name was "Fox", and Delphra's first name was "Snow." The name of the mother of the prophesied siblings, Eira, actually means "snow", which I thought was a cool throwback to Delphra's original name.

And that, my dear peeps, is all! Here is the Amazon link for those so inclined. Stay safe and stay gold! 💛